Restless Again
by zzilly14
Summary: The night after Chosen, the six main characters that remain have odd dreams, reminiscent of Restless. Chapter 1 up.
1. Prologue: Dreams

_Joss Whedon created BtVS and its characters. Not me._

Written for TV100 LJ community's challenge of Prompt Suggestions, using three specific words. I used all of the suggestions, one for each drabble:

-fingerprints, broken window, sighs  
-marbles, rain, drapery  
-toothbrush, whispering, accident  
-howling, winter, speed  
-bare feet, dripping tap, laughter  
-passing car, nausea, surprise

**Restless Again  
Prologue: Dreams**  
by Zzilly14

Dawn found herself in her bedroom at home - the one that had just been destroyed hours earlier along with the rest of Sunnydale.

She glanced at the window and noticed that oddly-shaped fingerprints covered the glass.

"I wonder what caused that..."

She walked over and attempted to clean the prints off when the window suddenly cracked.

"Oops."

She heard sighs echoing around the room and turned to see nothing. When she looked back at the broken window, she saw her mother floating outside.

"Mommy?" she cried.

"Never forget me," she smiled with a glow. "And never forget what you are..."

...

He couldn't believe it. He was back in high school?

"You're a one-eyed freak, Harris!" a jock laughed as he passed him.

"This isn't real," Xander told himself. "It's only a dream. Sunnydale High is history."

A soft voice landed on his ears like a gentle rain. "History does not show the future. Dreams can."

He turned around and gasped. Tara stood before him, wearing a flowered dress that reminded him of the drapery in the Summers home.

"Are you the first Slayer? Because frankly, I don't want to lose my marbles."

"You won't lose the red one," she smiled.

...

Buffy blinked. She was home. In her living room.

She heard whispering and went to the kitchen cautiously, wishing she had her stake. She was surprised to find both of her parents talking civilly.

"Mom? Dad?" The Slayer managed to spit out.

"Hey Buffy," Joyce greeted. "We were just discussing the accident at school."

"Accident?"

Hank nodded. "You didn't hear about it? The gym was... blown up."

"Oh," Buffy sighed. "Look, I didn't mean to..."

Joyce interrupted. "Mean to stay out late? I know, honey. We'll let it slide this time."

As she headed upstairs, she wondered where Dawn was.

...

New York City. The need for speed. Party like it's 1999. But isn't it 2003?

She was banging with a guy named Ross... Ricky, maybe? She was a wolf howling at the moon.

And then she kicked him out, like she did to Xander. Why go into a relationship when you can just have great sex?

"Faith," a voice said quietly. "You can have so much more."

The dark-haired Slayer was ready to pounce and froze when Robin came out of the shadows. His winter coat seemed to glow.

"Wood... how's it hanging?"

"Watch for the road ahead. Be ready."

...

Drip, drop. Children laughing. Drip, drop.

Willow followed the sounds down a dark corridor. The walls began to narrow. The light at the end became farther and farther away.

"I can't breathe!" she screamed.

Suddenly she was in her kitchen, staring at the dripping tap. She shook her head and turned the faucet off when the laughter ceased abruptly.

"It's my Barbie, Xander! Give it!"

Willow smiled at the younger version of herself, who was sniffing her bare feet. She gasped when the girl slapped her friend.

"I'm telling!" Xander pouted.

"But I thought you loved me!" both Willows protested.

...

Giles was back in England. He was home.

No, Sunnydale was his home. It had been for the past seven years...

"Rupert," a familiar voice laughed. "What a surprise! When did you get in?"

His tears almost fell. Nausea enveloped his stomach. He felt dizzy.

"Jenny?"

"I've been waiting for you. For a long time."

"Is this... heaven? Am I dead?"

The former teacher smiled. "You're sleeping, Rupert. But before you wake up, I need to tell you something."

She embraced him and whispered in his ear delicately.

Suddenly a passing car took his angel away, leaving the Watcher dumbfounded.  



	2. Chapter 1: The Coming Dawn

_Joss Whedon's the genius, not me._

**Restless Again  
I: The Coming Dawn  
**by Zzilly14  


  
"Never forget what I am?" Dawn repeated. "Do you mean..."

"You are the Key," Joyce beamed.

"Well, yeah. I used to be a green ball of energy. That was so two years ago, Mom."

"Dawnie," the angelic figure proclaimed, "it's time for you to realize your destiny."

"My destiny?"

"You are the Key," she repeated before fading away.

"Mom! Mom!" Dawn screamed, putting her hand on the cracked window. It was then she realized her fingerprints matched the ones she couldn't figure out where they came from.

"What does this mean?" she asked aloud.

It was then she turned around, and realized she was not alone: in fact, everyone she ever knew was cramped into her tiny bedroom.

Buffy stepped forward. "It's time to unlock the secret," she stated happily. "Fulfill your destiny, Dawnie, and be a Key!"

"What am I supposed to do?" Dawn said, afraid of the answer.

"The lock's over there," her sister replied, pointing to the closet door. "Open it!"

Dawn stood frozen, looking back and forth between the people and the door. "But if I do, I might not come back..."

"It's a sacrifice we're willing to make," Xander added.

Willow smiled. "You're a big girl, Dawnie. It's about time you grew up."

The teenager nodded slowly before walking to the door and turning the knob.  



End file.
